My name is Alan Austin, and I recently described myself as a quality prodigal. I don’t mean to say that I’m very good at spending recklessly, but rather that I have returned to quality after straying onto other paths.

For those of you unfamiliar with the word, Merriam Webster defines apothegm as “a short, pithy, and instructive saying or formulation.” Examples might include “a government that is big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take it away” or “you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.” For this column I will be presenting my thoughts addressing some expressions that have been so overused as to become almost accepted as gospel. This column’s first apothegm is:

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